Tubular shipping container



TUBULAR sense CONTAINER Charles D. Welshenhach, Sandusky, Ohio, assignorto The Hinde & Dauch Paper Company, Sandusky, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Application September 19, 1952, Serial No. 316,400

1 (Ilairn. (Cl. 229--5.S)

This invention relates to tubular paperboard shipping containersparticularly suitable for shipping articles such as rolls of sheetmaterial.

The container of the present invention has a tubular body and endclosures that are adapted to be inserted into the ends of the tubularbody, each end closure providing an end closure wall having marginalflaps that are bent inwardly with respect to the wall and back uponthemselves to provide recesses opening to the exterior of the containerbetween the end closure wall and the tubular body, the end closure beingsecured to the wall by means of fasteners such as staples that passthrough the tubular wall and the ends only of the flaps. The foldedflaps of the end closure thus provide edges that are readily attachableto the tubular body after the end closure is in place within the tubularbody. The end closure can be readily inserted in the open end of acontainer after the container is filled and has edge portions readilyaccessible for attachment to the body of the container. The folded flapsalso provide positioning collars within the container at opposite endsthereof for centering the article being shipped in the container andyieldably supporting it out of contact with the tubular wall of thecontainer.

The container is preferably polygonal in form and the body and endclosure members are collapsible so that parts of the container can beshipped flat and assembled at the place of use.

Objects of the invention are to provide a tubular shipping containerthat has a smooth exterior surface throughout its length, that has endclosures entirely within the tubular body and that can be readilysecured in place after the article to be shipped has been placed in thecontainer, and to provide a shipping container that has end closuresthat provide positioning collars Within the container with which thearticle being shipped can be engaged in such manner that the article isyieldably centered with respect to the container and held out of contactwith the tubular wall of the container.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the top of thecontainer; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of an end closure blank.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the container of the presentinvention has a tubular body indicated generally at 10 that ispreferably of polygonal form, the body it? being formed from arectangular sheet of paperboard in which uniformly spaced parallel foldlines 11 provide hinge connections between adjacent sections of thetubular body. The ends of the blank are provided with a hinge connectionformed by suitable means such as a tape 13. The body It) is readilycollapsible about diametrically opposite hinge connections so that thebody can be shipped as a flat rectangular piece of double thickness.

Two identical end closures indicated generally at 20 are provided atopposite ends of the container. Each States Patent "ice 2,740,572Patented Apr. 3, 1956 end closure, as shown in Fig. 3, is formed from ablank having a central wall forming portion 21 and a series of flaps 22radiating from the central wall portion 21. The flaps 22 are joined tothe central wall portion 21 along fold lines 23 that define a polygon ofsomewhat less diameter than the tubular body 10 so that the end 010-sure member may be inserted within the tubular body with its edgesformed by the fold lines 23 spaced inwardly with respect to the tubularbody 19. The flaps 22 are preferably of a width equal to the length ofthe fold lines 23 and each has a transverse fold line 24 substantiallymidway between its ends and parallel to the fold line 23 to provide eachflap with an inner portion 25 and an outer end portion 26. When the endclosure 20 is inserted into an end of the tubular body the flaps 22 arefolded inwardly to project into the interior of the container and theouter portions 26 are folded back upon the inner portions 25 to positionthem between the inner portions 25 and the tubular body ill. Each fiapprovides a recess 27 opening outwardly to the exterior of the containerat its end that will readily receive the clinching jaw of a staplingmachine and the outer end portions 26 of the flaps are attached to thetubular wall it) by staples 28 which connect the end portions 26 of theflaps only to the tubular wall. Each flap is preferably attached to thebody by two spaced staples 28 so that each flap is rigidly attached tothe body and a strong connection for the end closure is provided.

The tubular body it) is preferably polygonal in cross section, the crosssection of the tubular body being similar to the end wall polygon formedby the fold lines 23 so that the end closures may be placed within thetubular body with the marginal sides 23 of the end wall parallel to andspaced inwardly from the sides 12 of the tubular body. The fold lines 24are preferably positioned substantially midway between the ends of theflaps 22 so that when the outer ends of the flaps are positioned flushwith the ends of the tubular body it) the polygonal end walls 21 arealso positioned substantially flush with the end edges of the tubularbody.

The inwardly folded fiaps 22 of the end closures form internalpositioning collars at opposite ends of the container that are adaptedto receive the ends of an article A such as a roll of sheet material andcenter the same r with respect to the tubular body. The folded flapsalso provide a small amount of lateral play between the end walls 21 andthe tubular body 10 so that the article is yieldably held in a centralposition out of contact with the tubular wall.

It is to be understood that in accordance with the provisions of thepatent statutes, variations and modifications of the specific devicesherein shown and described may be made without departing from the spiritof the invention.

What I claim is:

A paperboard box having a tubular body of polygonal cross-section, aseparate end closure wall of corresponding configuration disposed withinan end of said body with the margin of said closure wall spaced from theadjacent side walls of said body, said closure wall having a series ofseparate flaps integrally hinged to the margin thereof in closely spacedrelationship entirely about its periphery, said flaps being free ofconnection with each other and each of said flaps having an innerportion bent inwardly from said closure wall and extending a substantialdistance toward the opposite end of said body, and each of said flapshaving an outer portion integrally hinged to and bent along a medialfold line back upon its inner portion and extending outwardly asubstantial distance between the inner portion and said tubular body,

said flaps, and fasteners spaced outwardly a substantial distance fromsaid fold line connecting the outer portions only of said flaps to saidtubular body and serving as the sole means for holding said closure Wallin place within said tubular body. 5

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS918,138 Flora Apr. 13, 1909 10 Moore 2 Feb, 5, 192 4 Boeye July 3, 1934Hutchins, Jr. May 26, 1936 Boeye Nov. 30, 1937 Gardner Feb. 8, 1944 HillJu1y 16, 1946 Palmer Nov. 2, 1948 Blackman Nov. 16, 1948

